Michael Owen believes the Alexander Isak situation became a “mess” when both he and Newcastle United released statements amid their standoff.
Eventually, Newcastle United sold Isak to Liverpool for a British record fee.
Given there was so much speculation about the matter prior to his move to Anfield, it’s easy to look back and suggest Isak’s departure was always an inevitability.
That, however, wasn’t always the case. While Isak released a statement asking to leave Newcastle, the club responded with one of their own.
Indeed, Newcastle initially said they didn’t expect to sell Isak, although their hand was eventually forced.
Owen, who has played for both clubs, believes that’s when it all got too messy to continue on together.
- Who is Alexander Isak? The striker who burned his Newcastle United reputation to force £125m Liverpool transfer
Michael Owen speaks on Alexander Isak leaving Newcastle for Liverpool
Speaking to FourFourTwo, Owen believes the situation looked amicable enough before the statements came out.
However, by that point, Isak had already infuriated the Newcastle supporters by not going on pre-season tour and training at former club Real Sociedad instead.
To blame Newcastle’s statement feels harsh. They were simply responding to a player who was causing an almighty distraction.
While not to say the club were absolutely perfect in their handling of the Isak situation, their statement was only a response.
“You cannot condone refusing to play or train,” said Owen.
“But I understood, in a way, he saw this as an opportunity of a lifetime. You only get one life, one career. Maybe he saw this as his chance to play for probably the best team in the world – as Liverpool presently are.
“It sounded fairly amicable at the start, when he made his feelings known. But then it just descended into a mess.
“He started playing every trick in the book to try to force his move.
“The writing was on the wall from the moment the back-and-forth statements came out. There was no way he could go back to Newcastle. Despite their public stance, I think that’s when the club started looking for the best deal they could get for him.”
PIF broke tradition to respond to Alexander Isak
One of the major criticisms about Newcastle owners PIF is how long things take to happen.
There have been no new updates on a new training ground or a new stadium, while it took an age to appoint David Hopkinson as their new CEO.
However, the Newcastle United owners were forced into action after Isak’s statement.
PIF broke tradition to respond to Isak’s statement quickly, such was the strength of feeling behind the scenes.
Sadly, it all ended in rather disappointing fashion for Newcastle.
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